Dillon Yost

Economic inequality in the United States is made up of many complex different variables
that are placed into one group called “Accidents of birth” which breaks down into two
classifications called categorical inequality and intergenerational inequality. Categorical
inequality or group inequality is where because of attributes such as gender, race, nationality and
or ethinic group. Those groups are at an economic disparity, when compared to white straight
males. Intergenerational inequality is where it doesn't matter if you are a white male it all
depends on your parents financial situation. This affects what opportunities you are presented
with such as private school or better private schools, tutors and most likely college is expected
where expense of college doesn’t matter. With all of these factors and when your parents pass
away you get a large sum of money called inheritance where others may just be left with a
burden and debt because of funeral costs. All of these variables factor into the United States
economic inequality problem. Now it is impossible to create an ideal economy with zero
inequality in income. The reason is that there would no longer be that incentive to get higher
education, advance technology, or medicine. This simply does not work. In the United States
20% of the population has accumulated 85% of the wealth in the United States(Ariely,19.2)!
This is the actual distribution of income. I believe that we can get that number down to near 70%
by eliminating economic inequality factors such as race, and gender when considering who to
hire or who to promote.
When it comes down to how can I make a positive change to fight back against economic
inequality the best thing that comes to mind is to make sure you are active in local election of
local authorities who want to help those who are disparaged because of economic inequalities by
putting money into low income neighbors and giving them the same educations and
opportunities that all kids in school should have access too. This would help to eliminate families
who are plagued by being in low income areas where schools aren’t properly managed or staffed,
by giving them the same or similar opportunities that wealthy neighborhoods have. Beyond that I
think the best way for me to make a long term difference is to use the tools I personally have
access to now and become someone who employs people based on merit and skill not race or
gender. Then build a school similar to the “I Promise School” in challenged neighborhoods to
break this cycle of generational poverty and allow them equal opportunities.

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Dillon Yost

Works Cited
Ariely, D., & Norton, M. I. Building a Better America-One Wealth Quintile at a Time -
Michael I. Norton, Dan Ariely, 2011. SAGE Journals.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1745691610393524?
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Daly, M. C., & Bengali,, L. (2018, January 30). Is It Still Worth Going to College?
Lumina Foundation. https://www.luminafoundation.org/resource/is-it-still-worth-going-to-
college/.
Econ, C. Unit 19 Economic inequality. https://www.core-econ.org/the-
economy/book/text/19.html.
Learning, L. Microeconomics. Lumen. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-
microeconomics/chapter/measuring-income-inequality/.